Career and Education Opportunities for Welding Operators in Chandler, Arizona

For those living in the Chandler, Arizona area, there are many career and education opportunities for welding operators. About 600 people are currently employed as welding operators in Arizona. By 2016, this is expected to grow 10% to about 660 people employed. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for welding operators are expected to shrink by about 7.0%. In general, welding operators set up, operate, or tend welding, soldering, or brazing machines or robots that weld, braze, or heat treat metal products, components, or assemblies.

Welding operators earn approximately $17 hourly or $37,060 per year on average in Arizona. Nationally they average about $15 hourly or $31,610 annually. Incomes for welding operators are better than in the overall category of Foundry and Metal Work in Arizona, and not quite as good as the overall Foundry and Metal Work category nationally.

There are five schools within twenty-five miles of Chandler where you can study to be a welding operator, among seventy-seven schools of higher education total in the Chandler area. Given that the most common education level for welding operators is a high school diploma or GED, it will take only a short time to learn to be a welding operator if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Welding Operator

Every day, welding operators are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to see details at a very fine level of focus. It is also important that they move quickly in order to hold onto or control objects and devices.

It is important for welding operators to give directions to other staff regarding machine set-up and use. They are often called upon to prepare and tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies. They also load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components. They are sometimes expected to correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices. Somewhat less frequently, welding operators are also expected to read blueprints and production schedules to establish product or job instructions and specifications.

Welding operators sometimes are asked to observe meters and machine operations to insure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications. They also have to be able to tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes And finally, they sometimes have to prepare and tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.

Like many other jobs, welding operators must be thorough and dependable and be reliable.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Chandler include:

Bindery Worker. Set up or operate binding machines that produce books and other printed materials.

Buffing Machine Operator. Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.

Layout Technician. Lay out reference points and dimensions on metal or plastic stock or workpieces, such as sheets, plates, or machine parts, for further processing. Includes shipfitters.

Solderer. Braze or solder together components to assemble fabricated metal parts, using soldering iron, torch, or welding machine and flux.

Tool and Die Maker. Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, and machinists' hand tools.

Welder. Use hand-welding or flame-cutting equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Welding Operator Training

Rio Salado College - Tempe, AZ

Rio Salado College, 2323 W 14th St, Tempe, AZ 85281. Rio Salado College is a large college located in Tempe, Arizona. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 19,186 students. Rio Salado College has a less than one year program in Welding Technology/Welder which graduated six students in 2008.

Mesa Community College - Mesa, AZ

Mesa Community College, 1833 W Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85202. Mesa Community College is a large college located in Mesa, Arizona. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 23,825 students. Mesa Community College has a less than one year and an associate's degree program in Welding Technology/Welder which graduated one and three students respectively in 2008.

Phoenix College - Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix College, 1202 W Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85013. Phoenix College is a large college located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 10,917 students. Phoenix College has a less than one year program in Welding Technology/Welder which graduated two students in 2008.

East Valley Institute of Technology - Mesa, AZ

East Valley Institute of Technology, 1601 W Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201. East Valley Institute of Technology is a small school located in Mesa, Arizona. It is a public school with primarily less-than 2-year programs and has 203 students. East Valley Institute of Technology has a one to two year program in Welding Technology/Welder which graduated one student in 2008.

Maricopa Skill Center - Phoenix, AZ

Maricopa Skill Center, 1245 E Buckeye, Phoenix, AZ 85034-4101. Maricopa Skill Center is a small school located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a public school with primarily less-than 2-year programs and has 953 students. Maricopa Skill Center has a one to two year program in Welding Technology/Welder which graduated twenty-six students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Chandler, Arizona

Chandler, Arizona photo by Ixnayonthetimmay

Chandler is situated in Maricopa County, Arizona. It has a population of over 247,140, which has grown by 40.0% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Chandler, 93, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Chandler are priced at $206,800 on average, which is well below the state average. In 2008, three hundred sixty-one new homes were constructed in Chandler, down from 1,002 the previous year.

The three big industries for women in Chandler are educational services, health care, and finance and insurance. For men, it is computer and electronic products, construction, and professional, scientific, and technical services. The average commute to work is about 25 minutes. More than 32.5% of Chandler residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 10.5%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Chandler is 6.6%, which is less than Arizona's average of 9.3%.

The percentage of Chandler residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.7%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The most common religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Chandler is home to the Kyrene Gin and the Goodyear Substation as well as West Mine Well Park and Doctor Chandler Memorial Park. Visitors to Chandler can choose from Courtyard by Marriott - Chandler, Four Seasons Solar Products and Aloha Motel for temporary stays in the area.